Narrative:

The captain and I completed the 'before starting engines' checklist in its entirety and the cabin ready report was received from the #1 flight attendant. At XA04Z, the push crew driver in the tug contacted us stating all his ground checks were complete and he was standing by for our brake release. At XA05Z we requested pushback clearance from ord ramp and were told to hold the push. At XA09Z, clearance from the ramp controller was received, clearing us to push. The captain released the brakes and he announced to the tug driver 'brakes release, cleared to push.' the tug driver pushed us what seemed to be just a couple of ft and abruptly stopped. After stopping, the tug driver said a catering truck was in the way. We canceled our push clearance with ord ramp. They acknowledged. It was then the tug driver called us and announced he pushed our left wing into the catering truck. Supplemental information from acn 481080: after completing the before engine start checklist and receiving the cabin ready report from the #1 flight attendant, I was told by the ground crew that they were all secure below and to call for pushback. The first officer called the ramp tower and requested pushback. We were told to hold for traffic in the alley. After about 1 min, we were told that we were cleared for pushback. I told the tug driver that brakes were released, cleared to push. After only a couple of ft, he told me that there was a catering truck in our way. The first officer then called the ramp tower and told them that we had stopped the push. I noticed that the tug driver had left the tug. When he returned he told me that he had hit the catering truck. When maintenance arrived, I went outside to inspect the damage to the left wing. It was obvious that the airplane was OTS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CREW DESCRIBED HOW A TUG DRIVER PUSHED THEIR MD-S80 INTO A CATERING TRUCK.

Narrative: THE CAPT AND I COMPLETED THE 'BEFORE STARTING ENGS' CHKLIST IN ITS ENTIRETY AND THE CABIN READY RPT WAS RECEIVED FROM THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT. AT XA04Z, THE PUSH CREW DRIVER IN THE TUG CONTACTED US STATING ALL HIS GND CHKS WERE COMPLETE AND HE WAS STANDING BY FOR OUR BRAKE RELEASE. AT XA05Z WE REQUESTED PUSHBACK CLRNC FROM ORD RAMP AND WERE TOLD TO HOLD THE PUSH. AT XA09Z, CLRNC FROM THE RAMP CTLR WAS RECEIVED, CLRING US TO PUSH. THE CAPT RELEASED THE BRAKES AND HE ANNOUNCED TO THE TUG DRIVER 'BRAKES RELEASE, CLRED TO PUSH.' THE TUG DRIVER PUSHED US WHAT SEEMED TO BE JUST A COUPLE OF FT AND ABRUPTLY STOPPED. AFTER STOPPING, THE TUG DRIVER SAID A CATERING TRUCK WAS IN THE WAY. WE CANCELED OUR PUSH CLRNC WITH ORD RAMP. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED. IT WAS THEN THE TUG DRIVER CALLED US AND ANNOUNCED HE PUSHED OUR L WING INTO THE CATERING TRUCK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 481080: AFTER COMPLETING THE BEFORE ENG START CHKLIST AND RECEIVING THE CABIN READY RPT FROM THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT, I WAS TOLD BY THE GND CREW THAT THEY WERE ALL SECURE BELOW AND TO CALL FOR PUSHBACK. THE FO CALLED THE RAMP TWR AND REQUESTED PUSHBACK. WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD FOR TFC IN THE ALLEY. AFTER ABOUT 1 MIN, WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR PUSHBACK. I TOLD THE TUG DRIVER THAT BRAKES WERE RELEASED, CLRED TO PUSH. AFTER ONLY A COUPLE OF FT, HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A CATERING TRUCK IN OUR WAY. THE FO THEN CALLED THE RAMP TWR AND TOLD THEM THAT WE HAD STOPPED THE PUSH. I NOTICED THAT THE TUG DRIVER HAD LEFT THE TUG. WHEN HE RETURNED HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD HIT THE CATERING TRUCK. WHEN MAINT ARRIVED, I WENT OUTSIDE TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE TO THE L WING. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS OTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.